Perry On Danis Withdrawal: 'This Was Always Their Plan'

Mike Perry suspects Dillon Danis had no intention of fighting him at Saturday's Duel Arena event in Orlando.

Danis withdrew from the scheduled main event Thursday, citing an arm injury, and was replaced by UFC veteran Brandon Jenkins. Perry told MMA Fighting's Mike Heck the news arrived shortly before the official announcement, and his first thought was skepticism. "This was three days ago, no one wanted to let me in on it," Perry said, per MMA Fighting. "It makes me think this was always their plan."

Perry's Team Prepared For Danis Pull-Out

The fighter known for his bare-knuckle success has dealt with a massive pay cut to accept the replacement bout, which now takes place at middleweight instead of welterweight. Perry had been on track to make weight Thursday night but ended up at a steakhouse after the press conference instead. He said his team anticipated the possibility of Danis backing out, given the grappler's history of booking high-profile fights before failing to appear. "People have been making the joke that maybe he's not going to come, he's the pull-out expert," Perry said. "So we just prepare to go to battle."

Perry stopped Nate Diaz at the inaugural MVP MMA event in May and hinted at major news following a successful performance against Jenkins. He described the replacement opponent as dangerous but said he remains locked in on Saturday. "Brandon is a wild card, and he's got nothing to lose," Perry said. "I've got to handle business first."

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Mike Perry reacts to Dillon Danis withdrawing from fight: ‘This was always their plan’